Extended Learning

Year 7-9 Ethics Olympiad

You’re the captain of a spaceship, and two ships are in distress. One is carrying labourers running out of oxygen, the other a luxury cruiser spiralling out of control, but you can only save one. Which do you choose?”

That was just one of the many thought-provoking dilemmas explored at this year’s Middle School Ethics Olympiad, a competition where students discuss, not debate, real-world ethical issues. Unlike debating, the Ethics Olympiad rewards teams for reasoning thoughtfully, listening carefully, and engaging respectfully to reach a more profound understanding rather than simply “winning” an argument.

Across eight interesting cases, including Using AI in the Classroom, Bullfighting, and Should Artists’ Ethics Affect Our Artistic Judgments?, our two teams, Team White and Team Green, demonstrated solid moral reasoning and respectful dialogue. For our second time participating as a school, I'm proud of their efforts.

Competition Highlights

Out of 15 teams, this was the top 5.

1. Gold Medal: St Peter’s Girls School (Yellow)
2. Silver Medal: Loreto College (Lime)
3. Bronze Medal: Scotch College (Pink)
4. Emmaus Christian College (White)

5. Tyndale Christian School (Orange)

    

Honourable Mentions were awarded to both Emmaus White and Green teams, recognising their strong performance and improvement over the day.

Team White: Amelia G, Tiam S, Abbey G, Cara M, Piera M, Hannah A 

Team Green: Mia F, Liya G, Sarina X, Isaiah R, Kyle P

We are incredibly proud of our students for their composure, teamwork, and visible improvement across the day. They approached complex moral questions with curiosity and respect—qualities that reflect the true spirit of the Ethics Olympiad.

Nick Rodda

Extended Learning Key Teacher

Secondary Maths/Science Teacher